America.gov (Washington, DC)
30 June 2009
(Page 2 of 3)
CO.NX Moderator (Josh): Hi Everyone! I'm Josh an Intern with the CO.NX program. Amelia and Catherine are stepping out so I will be helping moderate the chat!
Q [Muheed Jeeran]: I think the major problem is the instability government in Somalia. This problem needs to be tackle by the UN. However, I am thinking that if we can a have global committee to finding a solution for handling the Pirates problem and preventing future hijacks will be a best solution at the moment. We can have a committee with all the relevant types of expertise people who can able to handle this issue. What do you think about that?
A [David Foran]: We already have such a group. The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) formed in January of this year includes nearly 40 countries and international organizations that are working together to fight piracy. The CGPCS has 4 working groups that deal with issues like coordination of anti-piracy activities, legal issues, shipper self-protection, public diplomacy and regional capacity building.
Q [Matt Kerr]: Where are you from David?
A [David Foran]: I'm originally from Connecticut and have worked for the State Department for the last nine years having served in the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, The Bahamas and Colombia before joining the fight against piracy.
CO.NX Moderator (Josh): If you're just joining the chat, please introduce yourself!
Q [Matt Kerr]: Hello Mrs. Hopkins, my name is Matt Kerr and I am a physics graduate student in North Carolina. I have heard of things such as water spraying systems being used as a limited line of defense against pirates trying to board ships. In your opinion, what are some of the more promising technologies that are being considered to deter and confront pirates onboard the victim ships. Also, you mentioned in your last online session that some ports are forbidden to ships that are armed. I'm sure these laws vary slightly depending on the port, but by arms, do they typically mean only those that are lethal? If so, would ships carrying non-lethal firearms (rubber bullets, bean bag projectiles), or other non-lethal possibilities (directed sound waves, lasers) be allowed into the ports in question? Do you think the U.S. government would ever consider subsidizing or partially subsidizing the cost of outfitting the ships of U.S. shipping companies with piracy defense systems? Does the U.S. government provide any fundin
A [David Foran]: Some of the suggestions you've made are currently part of self protection employed by many of the vessels traveling in near Somalia. The US government to date has no plans to subsidize shippers self protection.
Q [hari]: Since Somalia is a country that is actually an agglomeration of fiefdoms ruled by warlords with a weak central government. Could one of these powerful warlords have a hand in Piracy operations
A [David Foran]: It's quite likely that some of these warlords have their hands in piracy.
Q [jose-manuel]: and what about to attack directly the areas pirates come from? Cheaper, more efficient... Ah, yes! the governement of Somalia. They will protest unless they get paid for their silence and permission, of course.
A [David Foran]: Among the problems with attacking on the land is that the pirates live in and among the population. It's very difficult to identify where they are on land and even if we do so, land attacks are likely to harm innocent people.
Q [hari]: Since a majority of World trade occurs thro' this area, why is'nt a Joint taskforce of important nations constituted with a mandate to come up with a specialised anti-piracy force
A [David Foran]: have such a force. At any given time there are between twenty and thirty vessels from up to twenty nations engaged in anti-piracy patrols.
Q [delta_love]: why don't we use the advanced technology we are talking about ,in recent years, to fight the new 21th century piracy ?
A [David Foran]: We are using some of that technology, but the expanse of area we are dealing with and the small size of most pirate boats (less than 10 meters) makes detection a real challenge.
Q [Yasmin]: Is Somalia the only hiding place for these pirates?
A [David Foran]: In the past year there have been pirate attacks in many parts of the world, however the vast majority are occurring off the coast of Somalia.
Q [Hawa]: and are we sure it ´s only the Somalis or there are Arabs and ethiopians?
A [David Foran]: To date only Somalis have been captured by the forces operating in that region.
Q [EMMANUEL BONNEY]: WHAT ARE SOME THE INTERNATIONAL MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO FIGHT THE PIRATES?
A [David Foran]: There have been a number. I have already mentioned shipper self protection and the international naval coalition. The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia has approved the creation of an international trust fund that will help regional countries prosecute suspected pirates and could fund regional capacity building. A number of the largest flag registries including Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands and the Bahamas signed an agreement last month to require vessels operating under their flags to employ self-protection measures. Together these countries account for more than half of the world's shipping by tonnage. The CGPCS has looked at impediments to the prosecution of pirates and is encouraging countries to change their laws if need be.
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Mr. Foran continues to review your questions.
Q [Matt Kerr]: Does the U.S. government provide any funding for research regarding anti-piracy technologies?
A [David Foran]: Not that I am aware of.
Q [Hassen 2]: Who are the real master minds of these operations?
A [David Foran]: That's a great question. We really don't know, but it's pretty clear that the six or eight Somali youth who get on their boat and go to sea trying to capture vessels are not acting alone.
CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Here is a special Combating Piracy feature on America.gov: http://www.america.gov/piracy.html
Q [Muheed Jeeran]: what is your view about this status? while acts of piracy have continued to plague the high seas, the United States has not considered piracy a priority in some time. That changed this year when Somali pirates boarded a U.S. cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama, in April. "I don't think the United States had much interest in taking action to protect shipping until a U.S.-flagged ship was taken," Davies (professor of maritime law at Tulane University) says. "I think that changed their attitude."
A [David Foran]: I disagree with the quote. The Maersk Alabama attack occurred in April. Prior to April, working with our international partners, we established the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia which held its first two meetings in January and March. We dispatched a number of naval vessels to the region to take part in anti-piracy patrols and we were encouraging industry to self-protect. What changed after the Maersk Alabama attack was public interest in our counter-piracy efforts.
Q [guest2]: David, has anybody put up a reward/tip line for Somalis to call in suspected pirates within Somalia? Are there any incentives given to provide information on suspected pirates?
A [David Foran]: Not that I am aware of, that's an interesting idea. I will pass it along. Thanks
Q [hari]: How is the co-operation of the Somalian Government, the President & Prime Minister on this issue?
A [David Foran]: The Somali Transitional Federal Government is very supportive of international counter-piracy efforts.
Q [Mary Furnivall]: And to date, since the surge in piracy, how much has been paid out as ransom?
A [David Foran]: It's hard to tell since companies don't publicize the payment of ransom. I have seen figures ranging from $30-50 million dollars, but these are just estimates the number could be larger or smaller.
CO.NX Moderator (Mark): For information on upcoming CO.NX webchats, please visit us on Facebook at http://co-nx.state.gov
As we approach the end of our scheduled hour, Mr. Foran will try to answer as many additional questions as possible.
Q [Matt Kerr]: Do you think that laws forbidding companies from paying ransoms would be beneficial or detrimental? Do you think it would discourage pirates if they knew they could not be paid, or do you think it would encourage them to be more violent?
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